Terminology or definition ?

[SteveJ]

Is there a correct call on the specific type of fishing methods? I hear trolling, spider rigging, jigpoling, tightlining, etc. There was one post that asked if someone did trolling or spider rigging and it seems I have hear said fishing off the front and/or the back slow trolling called both. I fish with poles with jigs in both hands using my trolling motor to follow the creek etc. and call it tightlining sometimes jigpoling but usually jigpoling in the spring when fishing visible cover etc. I guess it depends on your location in the country and this may be a stupid question just sometimes I get confused with questions and answers here.

[Crappie Reaper]

Spider riggin is with serveral rods in holders slow trolling. Slow trolling can be a single rod or more, just moving very slow. Never heard of jigpoling. Jigging is working a jig, whether, casting, or verticle. Tightlining is nothing more than holding or laying a rod down and watching it for the bite. Trolling is using your bigger motor at slow speed dragging crankbaits, spinners, jigs, whatever you wish to use. Hope this helps.

[SteveJ]

Crappie Reaper, here is what a lot of folk in MS call jigpoling, there are more here on BnM web site.

http://www.bnmpoles.com/newsletter/101005/101005.html

[whizkids]

The terminology confused me when I first started tournament crappie fishing. It still confuses me today.

Spider rigging - called that for the spider looking configuration on the rods. Can be done from the front or the back or both. People who slow troll with rods like this call it tight lining ( lines near vertical.) However you can troll ( long line, pull ) from this rod configuration also. The difference is speed and the amount of line out. You can also pull floats from this configuration.
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Some fishermen just call it pushing ( slow trolling) or pulling faster trolling.
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Then there is trolling with the gas engine, usually if your speed needs to be above 1.5 mph ( depends on how good your trolling motors and batteries are) This is primarily used for trolling crank baits
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Then there is rod or rods in hand: That can be casting,shooting docks ,vertical jigging structure, float fishing , following a break line with one or two rods in hand, or an infinite number of variations.
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Don't get too hung up on terminology. It is about depth and speed control
and how to best present the bait in the strike zone in a given situation.

[CrappiePappy]

Regionally, I'm sure that a lot of methods are called by the same or similar names, and even a combination of those names. It's much the same for "what" Crappie are called, and even how the word (crappie) is pronounced.

My general "terminology" -

"trolling" - under big motor power, dragging baits behind boat
"slow trolling" - under TM power, dragging baits behind or under boat
"drifting" - under no power, wind/current power, or intermittant TM power, dragging baits under or close to boat
"pulling" - under TM power, TM mounted in center of boat, dragging baits in a wide path out the side of boat
"jigging" - using pole to drop and lift jig in/around cover, no reel retrieve
"vertical jigging" - same as "jigging"
"vertical casting" - using pole to drop jig vertically in/around cover, slow retrieve by reel
"casting" - throwing bait with rod, retrieving with reel
"still fishing" - tied or anchored to a spot, lines vertical in water (with or without float)
"tightlining" - rod in hand, in holder, or laying in boat - no float, line straight down from rod tip ... usually with live bait
"shooting" - using rod to slingshot bait under overhanging cover, or dock, or pontoon
"longpoling" - use of a rod longer than 8ft, usually not casting
"spider rigging" - "trolling/slow trolling" with multiple rods in a fanned out configuration at front & back of boat
"float and fly" (all spelling variations) - use of rod to cast and retrieve jig under a float

As one can see, some methods are somewhat interchangable in terminology - or a combination of methods can be described as one ..... hence the potential for confusion.
These "descriptions", of the particular methods mentioned, are my own; and are not meant to be taken as anything else. ........... cp

[Ohio Angler]

C.P. How would you describe the difference between vertical jigging and tightlining?

[CrappiePappy]

I'd say "vertical jigging" can be done with a tight line - but "tightlining" doesn't have to be done vertically, or with a jig (and usually isn't) :D

OK, so I sorta side stepped that question ... the truth is, I associate "jigging" with movement of the bait (by rod manipulation) - while I associate "tightlining" with the lack of any movement imparted by the angler.

There are "aspects" of the two, involved in either - (such as) you do have a "tight line", when vertical jigging ... and you can "tightline" a jig. (noun vs verb definition conflict)

If each word only had one meaning, there wouldn't be such a problem with defining things ..... Take for instance - I can tell you to put your line onto your reel, by saying: "you spool line onto a reel by running the line from the spool onto the spool" (spool is first used as a verb, referring to the action - and then as nouns, referring to the two different line holding devices - line spool & reel spool) But, without clarification of "spool", it can be confusing. In the same vein - you're "tightlining" (verb) a bait, when using certain methods (like vertical casting, or vertical jigging) ... but, "tightlining" as a "method" (noun), is usually considered as not moving your rod or reeling in your line.
Clear as mud, now ....... right? .............cp

[Jerry Blake]

So, I guess when I'm using a jig on an 11-foot jig pole with an open face spinning reel I may be tight-lining, jigging, vertical casting and still fishing at any given moment. I control the boat with my trolling motor moving very slowly around and over the cover I'm fishing and also hold the boat in position at times.

I usually put my jig in the water with a "Flip-cast" or pendulum cast out over the cover to get some line out and let the jig fall back towards the boat over the cover keeping the line tight and adjusting the amount of line I have out so that when the line is vertical my jig is at the desired depth.

In the spring and fall when the crappie are generally more aggressive they will hit the jig “on-the-fall” as it slowly falls and swings back towards the boat. If they are biting on-the-fall I will continue doing “flip-casts” as long as they keep biting. When the are biting on-the-fall they are usually shallow enough that I can keep the same amount of line out and I don’t reel in or let line out on each “cast” – just lift the jig out of the water by taking up some line with my free hand, swing the jig back out over the cover and release the line.

I have my line marked with permanent marker at 10 or 20-feet (depending on how deep I’m fishing) and gauge my depth by how much line is in or out of the water to the mark. When I have the desired amount of line out I pick up the line with the middle finger on my pole hand and hold it lightly against the back of my index finger so I can feel the lightest nudge or contact with the cover and distinguish between the two (most of the time).

Once the line is vertical I slowly move the jig in, over and around the cover with vertical and horizontal movements – ALWAYS keeping the line tight so I can feel the slightest bite. At the same time I am moving the boat slowly around the cover – slow enough so that my line is vertical most of the time.

I may reel in a turn or two once in a while to fish shallower or open the bail and drop the jig a bit to fish deeper. When I get a bite I set the hook and sweep the pole upwards over my shoulder and make a note of where my mark is on my line before I start reeling so that after I’ve unhooked the fish and started fishing again I can quickly get right back to the same depth. When I locate an area on the cover that they are biting (I call it the dining room) I hold the boat in position as much as possible and concentrate on that area.

There are times when crappie seem to prefer the jig moving slow downward, other times when they prefer it moving slowly upwards (rare for me - probably because I am fishing from above them down to them and not from under them up to them) and other times when they prefer it sitting as still as you can hold it.

While we’re fishing with “pole-in-hand” we usually also have at least one other jig pole in a rod holder for each person with minnows under slip-floats set near the top of the cover. I don’t have to watch the rod tip or line on my pole-in-hand because I am feeling the bite on the line so I can watch the slip-floats for bites (while also keeping and eye on the GPS and two graphs).

As I’ve mentioned on other threads my partner Darryl and I call this system “Hovering”.
It’s a combination of several methods and a fun and effective system for putting the little critters “in the box”.

[ET Fishin]

good info Jerry! I'm gonna have to try the line holding technique. I'm sure I miss too many bites. ET